ROTTERDAM, Netherlands (Reuters) -Go Ahead Eagles won their first ever Dutch KNVB Cup on Sunday, coming from behind to score a last-gasp equaliser before going on to win 4-2 on penalties after a 1-1 draw with AZ Alkmaar.
Goalkeeper Jari de Busser proved the hero before a capacity crowd at the Feyenoord Stadium with a series of key saves in the match. He then stopped two efforts in the shootout, before Julius Dirksen converted the winning kick.
Success for the club from Deventer came 60 years after their only previous cup final appearance in 1965 and wins them a place in group phase of next season’s Europa League.
Ireland international Troy Parrott converted a re-taken penalty to give AZ Alkmaar a 54th-minute lead.
The former Tottenham Hotspur player's initial effort was saved by De Busser, but the goalkeeper was adjudged to have moved off his line too early, handing Parrott another opportunity which he converted.
Go Ahead were awarded a controversial penalty six minutes into stoppage time to equalise after a handball by AZ’s Peer Koopmeiners, who was having his shirt tugged in his own penalty area. In order to exaggerate the offence, and look to sway the referee, he fell dramatically to the ground, only to handle the ball in the process.
The kick was awarded despite Koopmeiners’ bemused protests and Go Ahead skipper Mats Deijl converted to take the game to extra time.
Before the match, five AZ supporters were injured in an accident between two buses bringing fans to the stadium in Rotterdam while the kickoff of the second half was delayed as the referee waited for smoke from fireworks that had been set off by supporters to clear.
(Writing by Mark Gleeson in Cape Town; Editing by Toby Davis)
